Paleo-friendly post workout smoothies

These are the two post work out smoothies I drink most often.

Chocolate Banana Hemp Protein Smoothie

• 1 cup homemade almond milk (or store bought if you don't make your own)
• 1 large banana
• 2-3 organic kale leaves (washed well)
• 1 tbsp of chai seeds (or 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds)
• 1 serving of organic chocolate hemp protein powder (unsweetened if you can find it)
• 4 ice cubes

Blend ingredients until smooth.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Smoothie

• 1 whole apple (I use the whole apple because there are nutrients in the core and seeds. You can omit the core if you wish)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 cup homemade almond milk (or store bought)
• 2-3 organic kale leaves (washed well)
• 1 tbsp of chai seeds (or 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds)
• 1 serving of unflavored or vanilla protein powder (I used a Paleo friendly powder I got from True Nutrition)
• 4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in the blender. This one is a bit chunkier but yummy.

Homemade Reusable Disinfecting Wipes

Today I made my own disinfecting wipes. Goodbye Clorox wipes, hello homemade reusable wipes. I've seen a couple of different sanitizing solution recipes but this is the one that I used.

Homemade Reusable Disinfecting Wipes

You will need

• Old t-shirts or reusable baby wipes
• Old empty baby wipes containers (I used old Cottonelle wipes containers)
• Scissors (if using t-shirts)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol or white vinegar
• 2 tbsp Castile Soap (You cannot use vinegar with castile soap because they cancel each other out. If using vinegar then use Soap Nuts or other dish soap in place of the castile soap)
• 1/2 tbsp Tea Tree Oil
• Optional: Other essential oils for a nicer fragrance. I may add orange or lemon EO in the future

Directions

• If using old t-shirts then cut them into your desired sized wipes.
• Put the wipes into the containers. You can fold them or just throw them into the container. Your choice.
• Mix the water, alcohol, soap, and tea tree oil together.
• Pour solution over your wipes. This solution made enough for me to cover two containers worth of wipes. If you're making more than two containers then make more solution.
• Shake the containers a little bit so the solution gets all over.
• Let the wipes sit for a few hours so that the solution can soak through all of the wipes. 

Tips

• More or less solution may be needed depending on the size of your container and how many wipes you can fit into it.
• These wipes should only be used on non-porous surfaces. Try on a small inconspicuous area if you are unsure if they are safe on a certain surface.
• Ribbed shirts are nicer for scrubbing and they grab dirt and dust better

Toxic-free action plan completion update

Hello all. I apologize for being a few days late on my update but here I am. I have not completed all of my goals, but I have completed most. Here is my original plan of action with the updates in red.

• Plan of Action

• Food
• Replace coconut milk coffee creamer with homemade almond milk.-Complete: I have made my homemade almond milk, but I also kicked my coffee habit. I am using the almond milk in my smoothies though.
• Discontinue use of store bought chocolate and replace with homemade.-Complete: I have one bag of Enjoy Life Chips left that I'll probably use to make cookies, but other than that I am done buying chocolate. I had chocolate hazelnut sea salt bark that I made and was using as a chocolate fix, but it all gone. I will have to make some more.
• Only store food in glass or stainless steel containers.-Complete: I store my food in glass jars or pyrex dishes. I have two stainless steel water bottles and one glass water bottle. I also bought a stainless steel water pitcher.
• Avoid microwave use when at all possible.-Complete: I only use it to sanitize my dish sponge.
• Eat only organic non-GMO food, and only buy from companies supporting the non-GMO movement.-Complete: I have not purchased any food that is not organic and non-GMO unless it was for my husband because he's stubborn. The only time I do purchase anything like that for him is when he goes with me to the grocery store which isn't very often. He knows he won't get his ice cream if he doesn't come with me.
• Research which bulk supply stores are the best for purchasing organic non-GMO foods (i.e. BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club) and become a member.- Semi Complete:  I have visited BJ's and was disappointed with the selection. I have heard many good things about Costco's selection but I have not been there yet. The Sam's Club is far away and will most likely not be an option for me. I plan to go into Costco and find out if they have a trial pass so that I can try it out before deciding to become a member.
• Beauty Care
• Research toxins and get rid of my products that contain harmful chemicals, hormones, and toxins. -Complete:  I have cleaned out all of my cabinets and discarded anything that contains toxic chemicals (I had to save a few of my husband's products but I'm slowly working them out.) I refer to ewg.org for all of my research on harmful toxins.
• Make homemade deodorant, toothpaste, make-up remover/facial cleansing wipes, and lip balm.-I have made deodorant and toothpaste, but I have not made make-up remover wipes or lip balm. I do not think I will be making the make-up remover wipes. Its an added expense that is not really necessary for me. I generally clean off my make up with coconut oil or jojoba oil. I do plan on making lip balm in the future, but I am currently using non-toxic brands like Yes to Carrots. In a sense I've completed the non-toxic part of the goal, but I have not completed my goal to make some homemade products like lip balm.
• Only buy products that are non-toxic and use homemade when possible.-Complete: I've switched to Dr. Bonners for hand soap, my make-up is non-toxic, and I have made deodorant and body butter.
• Reduce make-up use to only special occasions (i.e. date night, gatherings, holidays, celebrations/parties).-Complete: I try not to wear make-up as often as I used to and only reserve it for special occasions.
• Use only organic coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and almond oil for moisturizer, cleanser, and hair care.-Complete:  I use coconut oil and jojoba oil for moisturizer, leave in conditioner, make-up remover, facial cleanser, and deodorant.

If any of you have created an action plan let me know. I'd love to hear your success stories, and if you've hit any bumps in the road.

Paleo beginners guide

I've recently had a few friends ask me about the Paleo lifestyle, and because I'm a Paleo advocate, this excites me. I've had to explain the diet and what to buy over and over again so I decided to post a little beginner's guide. This way in the future I can direct any new comers to this post and they'll have most if not all of the info they'll need to decide whether or not they'd like to make this lifestyle change. Yes that's right, it's a lifestyle change. If you go into this thinking its just another diet, then the likelihood of you failing is going to be higher. I usually suggest that everyone gives it at least 30 days. That's 30 days of commitment to eating Paleo, and NO cheating. After the 30 days I want you to evaluate how you feel. What are the changes you've noticed in your energy levels, sleeping habits, eating habits, weight, and muscles. If after the 30 days are over you feel like you "NEED" to "cheat" then do, and monitor how you feel. I guarantee you won't feel good afterwards. Some side effects of "cheating" that I noticed are headaches, nausea, stomach pains, gas and diarrhea. Sounds pleasant right? Not so much. I went into Paleo thinking I was only going to do it for 30 days, but it changed my life. After the 30 days were up I felt so great that I never wanted to eat "conventionally" again. Of course I have eaten those awful grains and processed foods from time to time at social gatherings and what not, but I assure you I curse myself every time. It not so hard to become committed to a lifestyle change when reverting back to bad behavior causes you to be sick. Some may see these "cheating side effects" as inconvenient but I love them. They keep me on target and remind me why I stopped eating those foods to begin with. So 30 days...give it a shot. You won't be disappointed. If after 30 days of committed Paleo eating you do not feel better, stronger, lighter, and more energized than please message me and let me know. I honestly do not know a single person who gave it their all and did not like the results. So without further ado, here is my beginner's guide to eating Paleo.

Paleo

What to eat

• Meats 
• Beef (preferably grass-fed and organic)
• Poultry (preferably pastured and organic)
• Pork (preferably organic)
• Fish/seafood (preferably wild caught or sustainable farm raised)
• Wild game
• Eggs (preferably pastured and organic)
• Vegetables (preferably organic)
• Fruits (preferably organic and in moderation)
• Nuts and Seeds (in moderation)
• Healthy fats
• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably organic)
• Ghee or Clarified Butter
• Animal fats
• Water, Coffee, and Tea (coffee and tea should be taken black)

What NOT to eat

• Grains (including corn)
• Dairy
• Legumes 
• Gluten
• Soy
• Sugar
• Processed Foods
• Other oils (canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil)
• Peanuts 

My Paleo household staples

• Organic chicken breast- I try to buy organic pasture farm raised when I can
• Organic grass-fed ground beef
• Wild caught shrimp and sea scallops
• Wild caught salmon and tilapia
• Organic pork chops
• Organic bacon- I try to buy fresh organic farm raised when I can
• Organic eggs- I buy organic pasture raised when I can
• Organic broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, romaine, spinach, kale, collard greens, zucchini, green beans, and eggplant.
• Organic bananas, apples, raspberries, lemons, and dates
• Raw honey
• Organic ghee
• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Raw almonds- I soak them and use them to make homemade almond milk
• Dry roasted almonds (eat by themselves, mixed in trail mix, or make your own almond butter)
• Unsweetened coconut milk
• Dry roasted unsalted cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts
• Organic garlic and ginger
• Organic unsweetened cocoa powder
• Organic fair trade coffee and tea
• Himalayan pink sea salt
• Seasonings and spices

The meats and produce I've listed under my "staples" aren't the only ones you can eat. They just happen to be the ones that I buy the most. If you're wondering why I choose organic, pastured, and grass fed meats and produce, here are a couple of articles explaining this choice. Educate yourself on where your food comes from and it could save your life.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/19/caged-vs-free-range-chicken-eggs.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/american-meat-is-even-more-disgusting-than-you-thought.aspx

To Learn More About Sustainable Agriculture

There are SO many great Paleo food bloggers out there who have fantastic recipes and websites. A few of my favorites are 

http://nomnompaleo.com/

http://www.againstallgrain.com/

http://fastpaleo.com/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2SY8TKEn9

Marks Daily Apple has a wealth of information. Any time I have a question regarding anything to do with Paleo I go there. It helped me a lot when I first started out.

I hope this beginners guide was helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. If you embark on the Paleo journey then I hope you are successful and fall in love with this lifestyle as I have. Its so simple! Just eat REAL food and stay away from processed foods, grains, dairy, gluten, sugar and legumes. Happy eating!